The Office
Episode #8 of the course English vocabulary – in the morning (B2) by Kasia Sielicka, PhD
All sweaty and out of breath, Susan finally reached her workplace. To be honest, she really hated it—the open-plan space without even cubicles, just low partitions between her and her colleagues.
She looked around her desk, thinking about which office supplies she will need today. A hole punch, check. A stapler, check. A pencil sharpener, check. All in place!
It was a bit sad, though, that her potted plant had wilted over the weekend.
She went to the filing cabinet and found the files she needed for today. Another mundane, run-of-the-mill day was ahead of her.
She came back to her desk and decided to do something fun for a change—something that would cheer her up. And she had the perfect idea! She could spin around in her swivel chair! Like on a carousel! She pushed herself away from the desk, but the chair, instead of turning round, just fell down onto the floor! And she went down with it!
Key words
An open-plan space is an office without separate rooms.
Cubicles are small areas in a room separated by thin walls or curtains.
Partitions are walls or screens separating one area from another.
A colleague is someone you work with. Another word is co-worker. Be careful: in some languages, a similar word means “a friend.” But a colleague does not have to be your friend.
A potted plant is a plant that grows in your house, not in a garden. It grows in a container called a pot.
If a plant wilts, it starts to die. You have to water it fast!
A file is a set of papers with information. Usually boring.
Mundane and run-of-the-mill both mean boring and repetitive.
Bonus words
A check is a mark you make, like a tick, to show everything is OK.
When somebody is sad, you can do something funny to cheer them up and make them smile again.
A carousel, or a merry-go-round, is an attraction in a theme park where children sit on plastic animals, and the animals go round in a circle.
Will Susan be all right? Find out tomorrow!
Recommended course on Coursera
Learn English: Advanced Grammar and Punctuation
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